246 HARLEY N. GOULD 



Expei-iment 9. A number of females were taken from colonies and 

 placed in a small fingerbowl of sea water. Three males freshly re- 

 moved from colonies were placed in another fingerbowl and the water 

 in which the females were was poured into the fingerbowl containing 

 the males. Every day the water standing on the males was poured 

 out and replaced by water in which the females had been; the latter 

 were each time covered "vvith fresh sea water. After sixteen days the 

 specimens which had been males were fixed and sectioned; all showed 

 very advanced degeneration of the male organs. 



Experiment 10. This experiment was repeated in a slightly different 

 way as follows: A sufficient number of large females were taken from 

 colonies to cover the entire inner surface of an 8-inch evaporating dish. 

 A very small stream of water was allowed to run slowly into this dish 

 from a salt water tap. Small glass tubes then led the water from the 

 evaporating dish full of females to two fingerbowls, one of which con- 

 tained small neuter animals and the other males. Care was taken to 

 keep the small individuals in each fingerbowl separated from each 

 other by some distance. This was left running for a month, and at 

 frequent intervals the small animals in each fingerbowl were examined. 

 At no time did any of the neuter animals begin to develop a penis. 

 The penes of the males gradually atrophied and disappeared, and did 

 not reappear. The numbers were considerable (20-25 specimens in 

 each fingerbowl), and the result was so uniform that it was not con- 

 sidered worth while to fix and section the specimens. Now if a secre- 

 tion were being given off in the water, one might suppose that this 

 experiment would prove its existence; for each of the small individuals 

 would receive secretion from many more females than is the case in 

 the usual colonies. There were 20-25 large females in the evaporating 

 dish, whereas few hermit shells contain more than two or three. The 

 dishes were shallow and whatever substance Was present would not 

 be very much diluted, although it might not be in quite so concen- 

 trated form as it would be close to a female Crepidula in the recesses 

 of a hermit's crab's shell. In so far as it went, the experiment failed 

 to establish the fact of a stimulating secretion. It might be yet con- 

 ceived that a secretion is given off by the females which is effective 

 only at the moment of liberation, or in the nascent condition. This 

 remains to be investigated. 



Experiment 11. The bodies of females were ground in a mortar and 

 the extract was added to a fingerbowl of sea water containing neuters. 

 Change of sea water in the fingerbowl was made twice a day, extract 

 of freshly killed female being added at each change. No sign of 

 male development appeared in the neuters. The experiment of course 

 lacks conclusiveness in one respect; the extract was made from the 

 whole body of the large animal, because it is not known what part of 

 the body may give rise to the hypothetical secretion; and it has been 

 shown that for many secretions formed by animals there are also formed 

 ant^igonistic or inhibitory substances (e.g., anti-fertilizin of F. R. 

 LiUie). 



